MY EDUCATION
Despite the difficult times in those days education and development of their children remained the most important concern of my parents. They believed in either sending their children to schools or strengthening the informal education at home. We managed to move as far as we could go to achieve better education.
The mission statement of the Ministry of Education during those early years was to provide a holistic, inclusive, responsive and empowering education system that would enable all children to realise their full potential, appreciate fully their inheritance, take pride in their national and cultural identity and contribute fully to sustainable national development. I was indeed pleased that my parents supported such views and sent me to school.
In those days there was shortage of education resources as well as quality teachers so we had to persevere on our own to conduct a lot of our learning with the support of our parents who could not help me with the three Rs namely reading, writing and arithmetic but gave me a lot of ideas to develop my study habits and also teach me some vernacular language and equip me with cultural and traditional aspects. The informal education formed the foundation for my overall development for later life. However, I was fortunate to complete my high education and proceed to tertiary institutions.
I went to Nanuku Sangam School for my primary education at age six in 1958. There was no regular transport to school so if the bus did not operate we had to walk a long distance to attend classes. The teachers did their best to give me the best education I could get. With limited resources at the school I found that the extra classes by my teachers after school hours assisted me to pass my school leaving certificate and gain entrance to Dudley House Girls’ School in 1967 in Suva for my secondary education. The Headmaster of the school was Mr Ramlu.
Nanuku Sangam School Rakiraki
Dudley High School was named after its founder, Miss Hannah Dudley. Miss Dudley arrived from India in 1897 to do missionary work amongst the indentured Indian labourers. She immediately started a school for mixed adult labourers. Six weeks after her arrival her students grew from 6 to 40. She taught Indian boys and girls and was assisted by two missionaries from India.
In 1905 Miss Dudley resigned as she didn’t like the idea of going to Nausori to run the orphanage and left for India. The house on the hill where she stayed was known as the “The Dudley House”. The school was later called Dudley House School.
In 1927 Miss A.M Griffin had the school moved back to the present site, 16 Eden Street. The first Form 3 was established in 1945 and the school later became Dudley High School. During my time at the school I stayed at the boarding with many of my friends such as Gurmeet, Pratima, Jaibun, Anjila, Meera and Jyoti just to name a few.
Some of my teachers at Dudley were Miss Furnivall, Miss Campbell, Mrs Usha Rae, Miss Mills and Miss Maharaj .We received the best religious as well as other formal educational knowledge in subjects such as English, Arithmetic, General and Social Sciences. I loved my time at this wonderful institution.
These three institutions namely my parents, my family and my educational institutions gave me all that I needed to live a modest and humble life. I was adored by my teachers because I was not only a well-behaved and conscientious student but was a good helper in the classroom.
After completing my studies at Dudley House I then had to return to Wailevu in 1969 and attended a local private typing school to complete my Diploma in Secretarial Studies to join Tavua Primary School as a clerk and receptionist working for almost two years for Mr M. S. Koya who was the Headmaster. This was the institution that gave me a fresh start for my work and married life. However I had to go back home when my marriage was arranged in 1972.
Later when I went to Suva as a married woman I attended Derrick Technical School that was renamed as Fiji Institute of Technology and became part of Fiji National University. I studied for my Diploma in Secretarial Services and Shorthand skills and this upgraded qualification gave me greater opportunity to get better jobs in Suva. I received a lot of support from the entire Family of my husband, I now recall is the Naidu Clan.
